Jeffrey Macfarlane, 31, grew up in Michigan then spent over a decade in offshore racing, with a long stretch in Australia on boats like the well-known maxi Wild Oats. In 2012, he crossed the Atlantic twice, on the Open 60, Le Pengouin, then in the Quebec St-Malo Race with the Class 40 EDF Energies Nouvelles.… Continue reading Jeff MacFarlane’s Rough Road to 203 Mini Transat
Category: Worth Reading
Columbia River Lightship and Buoy Back on View
The entrance to the Columbia River was the site of the first lightship on the west coast in 1872, and the final version (WLV-604) was also the last to be retired in 1979, after 28 years of service. The hull resembled a 128-foot cargo vessel with a displacement of over 600 tons, when loaded with… Continue reading Columbia River Lightship and Buoy Back on View
2019: Kitsap County’s Ferry Is First Hybrid
When it comes to catamaran ferries, Washington’s boat builders lead the nation! Operators in Hawaii, California, and Alaska rely on our experienced commercial yards to provide them with the latest fast ferry designs from the world’s leading naval architects. During 2018-19, the San Francisco ferry system known as WETA (Water Emergency Transit Agency) is purchasing… Continue reading 2019: Kitsap County’s Ferry Is First Hybrid
2020: NW Fast Ferry Launches
Mavrik to Build Second Fast Ferry for WETAThe San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) has exercised its option for a second 300-passenger high-speed ferry from Mavrik Marine of LaConner, Washington at a base price of $14.8 million. This 125-foot by 33-foot design is the latest model from Australian naval architects One2three, who… Continue reading 2020: NW Fast Ferry Launches
Foiling Survey Boats Keep Grain Ships Moving on Columbia River
For the last year, the west coast shipping news has been dominated by the huge fleet of container ships waiting to unload Asian imports in southern California, but the media spotlight may soon turn to a very different cargo—American wheat for export. This vital commodity rarely attracts much attention, but the hostilities/war between Russia and… Continue reading Foiling Survey Boats Keep Grain Ships Moving on Columbia River
Drake in Oregon? The Mystery Continues……
Hardly a year goes by without a reconstruction of a historic sailing ship visiting the Columbia River. The Lady Washington is a frequent visitor, but I can also recall going on board Captain Cook’s Endeavour, and even meeting Captain Bligh on HMS Bounty–they all explored the pacific Ocean in the 1700s. Each ship was rigged… Continue reading Drake in Oregon? The Mystery Continues……
Polar Research Schooner Tara Visits Astoria
It was back in July 2018 in the heart of the summer on the lower Columbia River when I spotted a big schooner-rigged sailing vessel at the East Mooring Basin in Astoria. From a distance, I could see it was at least 100 feet long, built of unpainted aluminum, and flying a foreign flag. That… Continue reading Polar Research Schooner Tara Visits Astoria
Solo Canoeist Neal Moore Crosses America
On March 1, 2019– the day after the splendidly rowdy and irreverent Fisher Poets Gathering brought a hundred or so characters to the Hanthorn Cannery Museum in Astoria–another story teller showed up at the museum on Pier 39 at the east end of the waterfront. His name is Neal Moore and he also talks and… Continue reading Solo Canoeist Neal Moore Crosses America
Taki-Tooo, Sydney Mae II Tragedies Still Haunt Oregon’s Charter Fishing Business
2003: Wreck of the Taki Tooo on the Tillamook Bar If you’ve ever visited the NW coast, you must have seen the charter sportfishing boats lined up at the dock surrounded by enticing signs and banners showing happy customers posing with the big tuna, salmon or bottom fish they have caught. If you have been… Continue reading Taki-Tooo, Sydney Mae II Tragedies Still Haunt Oregon’s Charter Fishing Business
Cleveland Rockwell–NW Coast Surveyor & Artist
Cleveland Rockwell had a successful 19th-century career in the military and the federal Coastal Survey. Educated as a cartographer and mechanical engineer, Rockwell started his professional life with the U.S. Coastal Survey, collecting survey data and drawing maps. In 1861, he was working on surveys along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts when the projects… Continue reading Cleveland Rockwell–NW Coast Surveyor & Artist